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Re: Groupset News
Just spotted Sensah Empire HRD 11 speed for sale on Aliexpress. Price is $249 for shifters, disc brake calipers, and derailleurs. Looks promising!

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805841249421.html

Thanks for that - I've done a little groupset comparison for anyone interested in the current state of the market for hydraulic groupsets. I have used official store prices for Ltwoo and Sensah. All items are shifters, brakes and derailleurs unless indicated otherwise. All prices include postage where relevant (to Australia - not sure how it differs for other markets).

Mechanical

Code: [Select]
| Groupset Name          | USD  | Link                                                      |
|------------------------|------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| Ltwoo R7               | 240  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005708638779.html     |
| Ltwoo R9               | 265  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005097651417.html     |
| Ltwoo RX               | 287  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005035653680.html     |
|------------------------|------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| Sensah Empire HRD      | 247  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006027398876.html     |
| Sensah Empire Pro HRD  | 297  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005961758310.html     |
|------------------------|------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| Shimano Tiagra 4700    | 306  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005767481889.html     |
| Shimano 105 R7020      | 430  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003723174953.html     |
| Shimano Ultegra R8020  | 530  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003723174953.html     |

Electronic:

Code: [Select]
| Groupset Name         | USD  | Link                                                                                                                   | Notes          |
|-----------------------|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| Ltwoo ER9             | 514  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005666489670.html                                                                  |                |
| Ltwoo ERX             | 656  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005666489670.html                                                                  |                |
|-----------------------|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| Shimano 105 R7170     | 767  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005766195381.html                                                                  |                |
| Shimano Ultegra R8170 | 1435 | https://r2-bike.com/SHIMANO-Ultegra-Di2-R8170-Complete-Group-2x12-Crank-Length-1725-mm-50-34T-SPECIAL-OFFER            | Full set       |
|-----------------------|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| Sram Rival 2x         | 697  | https://r2-bike.com/SRAM-Rival-eTap-AXS-Road-Disc-HRD-Flat-Mount-Road-Upgrade-Kit-2x12                                 |                |
| Sram Force D1 2x      | 742  | https://r2-bike.com/SRAM-Force-eTap-AXS-Road-Disc-HRD-Flat-Mount-Upgrade-Kit-2-speed                                   | With rotor     |


Gravel:
Code: [Select]
| Groupset Name         | USD  | Link                                                                                                                   | Notes           |
|-----------------------|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Ltwoo GR7 1x10        | 208  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005754630103.html                                                                  |                 |
| Ltwoo GR9 1x11        | 265  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005148057429.html                                                                  |                 |
| Ltwoo GRT 1x12        | 287  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005048297285.html                                                                  |                 |
|-----------------------|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| SRAM Apex XPLR 1x12   | 554  | Multiple links, see notes                                                                                              | Parts separate  |
| SRAM Rival XPLR 1x12  | 770  | https://r2-bike.com/SRAM-Mullet-Rival-eTap-GX-Eagle-AXS-Gravel-Upgrade-Kit_1                                           |                 |
|-----------------------|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Shimano GRX 400 2x10  | 346  | https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005354064020.html                                                                  |                 |
| Shimano GRX 810 1x11  | 789  | https://r2-bike.com/SHIMANO-GRX-Gravel-Group-RX810-Hydraulic-Disc-Brakes-1x11-42-Teeth                                 | Full set        |
| Shimano GRX 820 1x12  | 1122 | https://r2-bike.com/SHIMANO-GRX-820-Complete-Group-1x12-Crank-1725-mm-42-Teeth                                         | Full set        |



September 09, 2023, 11:41:08 PM
1
How to run Di2 and a dropper post on a Flyxii FE-02 (and possibly other bikes) I like electronic shifting, but I don't like DOT fluid, which means I have to use Di2. On my road bike, it took all of 10 minutes to install 105 Di2, but on my gravel bike I very much like also having a dropper post, which makes installation of the battery a problem. My goal with this post is to describe how I solved this problem on my Flyxii FE-02 frame, but the process should work for many other frames.

You will need:
  • Internal cable routing tool and an old cable (or just 2x cable routing kits)
  • A frame with a headtube large enough that you can a fit Di2 battery in while tilting it into the downtube
  • Bubble wrap and tape
  • Zip ties, with a length approximately 2.5-3x the diameter of the downtube of whatever bike you're working on

The process
  • Drop out the fork and remove headset bearings. Remove all hoses/cables from the downtube to prevent the Di2 wires from getting snagged or tangled. Remove any cable routing guide near the bottom bracket; the holes this leaves will be valuable for cable routing.
  • Route the cable routing tool through the top or bottom of the headset, whichever direction is easiest to insert the battery from. If you have 2 cable routing tools, use one for the front and one for the rear; otherwise use the tool to route an old brake or shift cable from the headset through to the rear derailleur. If possible, route these under the bottom bracket.
  • Wrap the Di2 battery in 3-4 layers of bubble wrap and tape to keep it in place. I used silicon self-fusing tape but any durable tape should work. Wrap several zipties around the battery in different directions. I used 8 zipties, spaced a quarter turn apart (i.e. 2 pointing in each direction).
  • Attach the Di2 wires to the cable routing wires (I used a little strip of packing tape which worked fine) and the battery. Pull the wires down into the downtube - make sure to do this evenly, i.e. pull the front and rear wires the same amount. It should be pretty easy to do this up until the battery has to go in the downtube. Lever the battery into the downtube, putting a little spin on it to get the zipties in a sort of spiral pattern.
  • Pull the battery down the downtube - this should be pretty easy until the bottle cage rivnuts are encountered. Your rear (and maybe front) Di2 wire should be long enough to be pulled out the bottom bracket cable routing holes and a bit more force can be used to pull on those to get the battery down past the rivnuts. Eventually the battery should make its way down almost all the way to the bottom bracket.
  • Finish routing the Di2 wires and tape them to the frame. Shake the frame to make sure the battery is secure and doesn't make any noise. If it does, you can push out the battery back through the headtube with a long, thin dowel or some other tool. Take a light that fits in the headtube, shine it down the downtube, and look through the bottom bracket holes to make sure there's enough space to run a brake hose and dropper cable.
  • Route brake hose and dropper cable as normal. I found this easiest to do by using the aforementioned light in the headtube, and carefully pulling the magnetized end of the cable routing tool past the battery. Doing this blind wouldn't be fun. After they get past the battery, I recommend routing the brake hose below the bottom bracket and the dropper cable above it, but this is more frame-dependent than anything.


Things that don't work:
  • Fitting the battery down the seattube below the dropper. This is what I tried first, but the battery has to sit down far enough that it blocks the port for the front derailleur wire, so the battery has to be shifted to the side to make room. Unfortunately, this blocks the needed space for the dropper cable, and also fouls on the rivnuts for the seattube bottle cage and derailleur mount. I got my battery stuck in the seattube and had to route 4 brake cables through the bottom bracket, up through the seattube past the battery, and use the heads of the cables to pry it loose. 0/10, would not recommend.
  • Putting the battery in the downtube without zipties: there needs to be a lot of bubble wrap to prevent the battery from moving, but little enough bubble wrap to allow it to be inserted into the headtube and get past the bottle cage rivnuts. I don't think this is possible, and if it is, it's far more practical to use zipties. Just for fun, I tried it, and the battery got snagged on the rivnuts and I had to fashion a tool to yank out the battery. Again, not recommended.

January 06, 2024, 12:50:13 AM
1
Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Link? I have been using these and they are quite good, but a bit rigid when you first install them and you need to really pull them hard so that they blend seamlessly.

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005005543193752.html

I have those which you linked. They look great but I noticed they smell bad pretty quickly (in summer months).

The ones I like more are these -
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNKxWL4

Even better -
https://a.aliexpress.com/_m07dP1y

The second one is currently at $4 but keep an eye out, they go for $2 regularly on that 3 deals page.

The below ones are bad. Shiny, slippery surface. I don't personally like that kind of tape.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOHCIoq

February 10, 2024, 02:54:19 PM
1
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
What size bearings do i need, both at the main pivot and at the linkage? My apologies if its been answered already l must have missed it. Thanks

upper shock link
6800 (19 x 10 x 5) - 2 pcs

linkage
698  (19 x 8 x 6) - 4 pcs

main pivot
6902 (28 x 15 x 7) - 2 pcs

ENDURO MAX LLU fits fine

February 16, 2024, 08:40:38 AM
1